Continuous sediment separator



Dec. 14, 1948. B. F. HARBISON 2,456,189

CONTINUOUS 'SEDIMENT SEPARATQR Filed Jul 7, 1945 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Dec. 14, 19 48 3 UNITEDJS'TATES PATEN 7 O F- ce)? -5 CQNTINUQUS SEDIMENT SEPARATOR Benjamin F. Harbison, RockylFord, C010. 7 Application July '1, 1945, Serial No. 503,713;

1 I This invention relates to a sugar beet sediment collector, that is, a device for removing rocks, sand, clods and trash from'the fiume floating sugar beets to a sugar factory and has for its principal object the prov'isionoi a device of this character which will be continuous in its operation so that it will not require shutting down for cleaning purposes and yet which willquickly and completely remove all-of the above foreign materials from the flume stream-"without loss of beets. A further object is-t0 so construct the device that it can be insertedin the present beet fiumes without disturbing the latter. Other objects and:advantagesreside in the detail construction of the invention,-, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

- In the following detailed description ofthe'invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part'hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description. In the drawing.

Fig. l is a longitudinal section through the improved continuous sediment collector;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail plan view of y a portion of the bottom of the beet channel of the device;

Fig. 3 is a cross section therethrough, taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end view of the upper portion of the collector.

A typical beet conveying fiume is indicated at Ill. The invention is designed for installation in the flume ID at any convenient point therealong.

The device employes a basin I I, formed of concrete or other suitable material, which acts as an enlargement of the flurne In and which is filled with water from the flume and maintains the water level thereof. An open ended drum l2 of wood, sheet metal or other material, is mounted in the basin II so as to extend below the water line and closely adjacent the bottom of the basin. The drum I2 is rotatably supported in any desired manner. Preferably, it is provided with an internal track ring I4 at each extremity. Each of the track rings l4 rides on three internally positioned, flanged, supporting rollers l3, the uppermost rollers supporting the weight of the drum and the side rollers acting to .prevent side swing thereof. The rollers I3 are mounted on the extremities of roller shafts .24 mounted in conventional bearings 3|.

2 Claims. (Cl. 209-424 The drum is rotated through the medium. of ring gears I5, there beingone ringgear secured on each extremity of the drum. The-ring gears are driven from drive pinions I6 mounted onta drive shaft 32 alongside of the drum. The drive shaft is carried in any suitable bearings I! and is driven from any suitable source. v

The interior of the drum I2 carries a plurality of parallel, spaced, longitudinally-extending pockets I8 positioned. to carry material upwardly on the ascending side of the drum'and discharge it at the top thereof. The discharged material falls into an elongated hopper I9 which: directs it upon an endless conveyor belt 20 extending longitudinally of the interior of the drum I2. The conveyor belt discharges the material to anysuitable receiver such as a second conveyor belt 2| which carries it to waste. A flow channel is outlined across the :basin. II, between the two extremities of thefiume .IIL' by means of two side walls, eachformed of louverlike side slats 22. The side walls actas con tinuations of the side walls of the fiume and act to guide the incoming beets across'tthe basiniil l to the continuationof the: flume lfl onthe' far side thereof. M W

'Two parallel supporting beams'33 extend across the basin II below the slats-22. -A plurality'of adjustablegrids 23 are mounted between the beams 33 and form the bottom of the channel across the basin. The grids consist of a pluarality of separated bars which allow sand and gravel to pass therethrough. Each grid is mounted at one end on a crank shaft 25, Each of the crank shafts 25 terminates in a crank arm 36 which are connected together, by means of a longitudinally extending connecting rod 26. A notched adjusting bar 21 is connected to the rod 26 by means of which the angle or incline of the grids is manually adjusted and set.

A water jet pipe 28 extends across the channel immediately inside of the entrance of the fiume III. This pipe contains a longitudinally extending slot to direct a sheet or jet of water therefrom. The pipe 28 may be rotated by means of a lever 29 and an adjusting rack bar 34 so that the direction of the jet of water discharging therefrom may be varied and adjusted. Water is fed to the jet pipe by means of a pressure suppl pipe 30 from any suitable pumping source.

In use, the drum is continually rotated and the beets together with the usual foreign materials, such as rocks, sand, gravel, mud, etc., are carried to the basin I I by means of the water in the fiume III. The beets are guided by the slats 22 across the basin H and return at the opposite side of the basin to the flume I0.

The upward sheet or jet of water from the jet pipe washes the clods and mud loose from the beets and forces the latter toward the surface of the flow. Each of the grids 23 in turn causes a tendency to lift the beets and separate the foreign materials therefrom as they pass along the channel. These materials gravitate downwardly between and through the grids 2'3 and between the outwardly and downwardly inclined louver like slats 22 to the bottom of the drum l2. Rotation of the drum gathers the accumulated rocks, sand, soil and other sediment, lifts it"inthe pockets I8 and dumps it onto the conveyor 20 by means of which it is carried off. The adjusting bars and racks 21 and, are adjusted to.

fie plates 35extend, circumferentially about the interior of the drum and divide the pockets l8 into sections. The bafile plates 35 prevent the formation of currents lengthwise of the drum which would result in washing the sediment toward and throughone endcf the drum.

While aspecificform of the improvement has been, described and illustrated herein, it is de sired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departingfrom the spirit of the inventlon. a i Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by LettersPatent is? '1. .A sugar beet sediment collector comprising: I. water containing basin; an imperforate cylindrical. drum mounted to rotate partially-sub merged in said-basin; a beet intake fiume entering said basin; a beet discharge fiume discharging from said basin, said fiumes being in alignment witheach other at} opposite ends of and in axial alignment with said drum; side walls extending through saiddrum from the sides of the intake flume tothe sides. of the discharge fiume; spaced apart, laterally extending grid merged in said basin; a beet intake fiume entering said basin; a beet discharge flume discharging from said basin, said flumes being in alignment with each other at opposite ends of and in axial alignment with said drum; side walls extending through said drum from the sides of the intake flume to the sides of the discharge flume; spaced apart, laterally extending grid bars extending between said side walls above the bottom side of said drum to allow foreign materials to settle between said grid bars to said drum; an elongated hopper within said drum below the" upper side thereof to receive the foreign materials from the ascending side of said drum; a water jet pipe extending horizontally across the basin end of the intake flu-mewith its jets directed upwardly into the incoming flow, and means for rotating saidjet pipe to vary the discharge angle of said jets.

BENJAMIN F. HARBISQN.

REFERENCES CiTED v The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

